Fiber-removing machine for flax, hemp, ramie, and other textile plants



Oct. 26,1926" 1,604,743

J. FIGUEROA' v "FIBER, REMOVING MACHINE FOR max, HEMP, RAMIE, AND OTHERTEXTILE PLANTS Filed Dec. 7. 1925 4 SheetsSheet 1 J. Tisuemd 1N VEN TOR.

BY MW' ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 26 1926. J. FIGUEROA FIBER REMOVING MACHINE FOR FLAX, HEMP, RAMIE,AND OTHER TEXTILE PLANTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 7. 1925 INVEN TOR.

J1 'Fygpevoa BY 'Yn A TTORNEYS.

Oct. 26 1926. 1,604 743 J. FIGUEROA FIBER REMOVING MACHINE FQR FLAX,HEMP, RAMIE, AND OTHER TEXTILE PLANTS Filed Dec; 7. 1925 4 heets-Shoe; 5

IN VEN TOR.

By E m.

A TTORNEYS.

Oct. 26 1926. 1,604,743

- J. FIGUEROA FIBER REMOVING MACHINE FOR FLAX, HEMP; RAMIE, AND OTHERTEXTILE PLANTS Filed Dec. '7. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Y TF1, uer'oa d SINVENTOR.

mwm- ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

NETD starts JULIO FIGUEROA, OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA.

FIBER-REMOVING MACHINE FOR FLAX, HEMP, BAMIE, AND OTHER TEXTILE PLANTS.

Application filed December '7, 1925. Serial No. 73,807.

This invention refers to a fiber removing machine for flax, hemp, ramieand other textile plants, the object of the same being the constructionof a machine of improved component parts and with specialties thatpermit it to give a greater yield and a greater perfection in its work.

The machine forming my invention comprises in its essential parts,crusher cylinders, delivery cylinders to the machine, a fiber removingdrum and parts for the evacuation of the fiber and residue. Theseelements all possess characteristics which give a notable improvement.Briefly, the characteristic of the crushers lies in its helicoidgrooving and the mounting of the cylinders between plates to prevent thefibers from getting rolled up in the shafts. Between the crushers andthe delivery or regulating cylinders, there is an endless carrier, therollers of which are movable, thus preventing breakages when thematerial passes between them and the cylinders. Said carrier has a belttightener to-keep it stretched. Various lifters collect the material andspread it on the .carri-er. The regulator rollers have an in clinationtowards the machine. This is provided with exterior discs which preventthe fibers being rolled over the shaft, and the evacuating pipe for theresidues has a similar arrangement. These and other charac teristicswill be shown during the elaboration of this descriptive schedule, forthe greater clearness of which the following. drawings are attached, andwhich will be used in the description of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the whole machine.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, the fiber conductor beingremoved.

Fig. 3 is an outline section from the lastcrusher cylinder to the fiberremovingdrum.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a portion of the drum in side elevation and indiametrical cross section respectively.

Figs. 6 and 7 show the aspirator in cross section and longitudinalsection respectively.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show the carrying pipe for the fibers, in side, frontand plan view respectively.

In all these drawings similar numbers refer to similar or correspondingparts.

A framework formed of two parallel sides 1 carries the supports, placedconsecutively, of the different rotatory parts of the machine.

Beginning at the end which receives the material, we have the supports 2of the seven pairs of crusher cylinders 3. The lower bearing is fixedand the upper one runs in a vertical roove I in said support. Upon thisbearing rests a spring 4, the tension of which can be regulated. Theobject of this arrangement is to allow of the vertical displacement ofthe upper cylinder according to the material that is to be placedbeneath it. The lower cylinder is rotated by a pinion 5. These crushercylinders have helicoid groovings, distant, preferably, 30 millimetresone from another and of the same depth. The direction of these groovingsis contrary on the one cylinder to that on the one next adjacent.

Directly after the last pair of crushers comes the conveyor 6, formed'ofan endless canvas running over two rollers 7, the bearings of which runhorizontally and are concanvas always remains in contact with the lastcrusher and with the lower regulator cylinder 11. A belt tensioningroller 9, the bearings of which run vertically and are stantly pushed bythe springs 8, so that the a a carried at each end by certain suitab 1springs 10 only one of which is illustrated in the drawing, constantlypresses against the lower part of the canvas so that this is alwaysstretched tight. The rollers 7 can be displaced horizontally in order toprevent any breakagesthat might occur were their posit-ion fixed, duringthe passage of the material between one of them and the adjacent crushercylinder 3, or the other of them and the regulator cylinder 11previously mentioned.

There are two of these cylinders styled regulators, their object beingto deliver the material to the sphere of action of the fiber removingdrum. The lower, which has already been mentioned and is marked 11 runs,on fixed bearings, whilst the upper 12 crushers. Directly after theregulator cylinders comes the fiber removing drum 35, which comprises ahorizontal shaft 15, the bearings of which run horizontally, so that thedistance between the drum and the reg ulators may be varied. Asufficient number of starred wheels 16 (three are shown in the drawings)are mounted on this shaft, and at the end of the arms of these starsthere are the fiber removing knives 17, consisting of steel blades withthe edge angles well sharpened. One particularity of these knives isthat both their edges can be employed. 'When one of them is sufficientlyworn, the knife can be turned in order to use the other edge. Outsidethe exterior stars, the drum has discs 18 provided with a circularflange 19 that freely engages with a circular opening in the fixedcasing of the drum. This arrangement prevents the fibers from rollinground the shaft of the drum. For the same purpose both the crusher andthe regulator cylinders have fixed plates at their extremities whichkeep the material in a straight path. The conveyor has two walls 20,which comes closer together or converge in front of the regulatorcylinders, and the purpose of which is to collect together the materialspread out by the crushers.

Beneath the drum is the screen 21, archshaped eccentrically in relationto said drum and formed of round bars supported by two hoops. These lastoscillate round the shaft 22, the distance between the screen and thedrum being regulated by a lever 23. The woody portions, cut from thefiber by the knives, fall across this screen whilst the fibers continuealong the upper conductor 24. This conductor forms the upper part of thedrum casing: at first it goes upwards, then horizontally above the drumand ends in a lateral escape 25 as shown in Figs. 8, '9 and 10. Thelower part of the drum is contained in a casing or box 26, into whichthe residues fall from the screen and which ends in an escape 27 thatforms a continuation of the aspirator 28. This aspirator consists of abladed fan with a horizontal shaft placed transversely in the casing 26.The air enters by the open ends and is expelled round the circumferenceby the escape 27, carrying the residues with it. At the extremities theair is directed by several cones 29. concentric to the shaft, and thebase of which revolves in an exterior box 30 attached to the casing andhaving an inlet opening 36. This arrangement facilitates the entry ofthe air and at the same time prevents the exit of the residues.

The working of the apparatus above described is as follows:

The material is delivered thrbu'gh anelevator to the crusher cylinders3, in the groovings of which it is broken, thus facilitating theoperation of the fiber remover in separating the fibers from the woodyparts. The helicoid form of the grooves, their size and their inversionin the successive cylinders are particularities which give the greatestyield possible to this class of machine. The plates arranged at each endof these cylinders prevent the material from getting amongst thebearings, a most important thing for the proper working of the machine.

As the material leaves the last pair of crusher cylinders, it is takenup by the conveyor 6 which carries it to the regulator cylinders 11 and12. As has before been pointed out, the two rollers of this conveyor aremovable, which means that they follow the movements of the material thatmay jam in the crusher and regulator cylinders, thus preventingbreakages. Furthermore, its tensor roller maintains an endless canvasstretched taut, in spite of the displacement of the rollers. The wallsor lifters 20 pick up the material which arrives on the canvas veryscattered and deliver it to the operator rollers, clear of theextremities of these last. The fibers with their woody parts alreadypartly separated, appear at the exit of the rollers ready for the actionof the fiber remover, the knives of which rasp against a counter-knifeplaced near the lower cylinder. The residue, consisting of the woodypart, the stalks and broken fibers, pass through the screen 21, drawndownwards by the suction of the fan 28, whilst the long fibers continuefollowing the circumference of the drum, leaving the machine through theexit opening 25 of the escape2et.

The special form of the aspiratin'g openings of the fan with its cones,is another -im portant particularity of this invention, by means ofwhich the action of the aspirator is improved and the escape of residuesis prevented.

It is obvious that the form, proportion and arrangement of the differentparts of this machine may be varied to some extent without thereby goingbeyond the scope of this invention, which is well determined in theclauses embodying the claims that follow this descriptive schedule.

Having thus described my invention and the manner of putting it intopractice, I set forth as my claims:

1. A fiber removing machine for fiax, hemp, ramie and other textileplants, which comprises a series of crusher cylinders, and an endlessconveyor at the exit from these, and at the other extremity of theconveyor a pair of regulating cylinders, a drum for removing the fiberincluding knives adapted to operate on the plant as it leaves theregulating cylinder, a screen placed below the drum to separate thefibers from the residues, an upper escape pipe for the fibers, a lowerbox to collect the residues and which includes an aspirator thatevacuates this latter, substantially as has been described and for thepurposes specified.

2. A fiber removing machine in accordance with claim 1, in which thecrusher cylinders have helicoid grooves, running in contrary directionsin adjacent cylinders, said cylinders forming vertical pairs of whichthe lower cylinder is the motive on fixed bearings, while the bearingsof the upper one run vertically along a suitable support, being pusheddownwards by a spring of a tension that can be regulated, substantiallyas has been described and for the purposes specified.

3. A fiber removing machine in accordance with claim 1, in which theconveyor, in continuation from the crushers, is an endless canvasrunning over two rollers, the bearings of which running horizontally arepushed by springs which tend to keep these rollers in constant contactwith the last crusher cylinder and with the lower regulator cylinder,there being a tensor roller below the canvas which, by means of springs,is continually resting against said canvas in order to keep it taut,substantially as has been described and for the purposes specified.

A. A fiber removing machine in accordance with claim 1, in which theconveyor has two edges, which come closer together as they approach theregulator cylinders, as has been substantially described and for thepurposes specified.

5. A fiber removing machine in accordance with claim 1, in which thereis a pair of smooth regulator cylinders, placed one upon the other, of asize approximately one fourth as large as the crushers, the lower onebeing on fixed bearings and the upper on movable bearing which are underpressure from springs that can be regulated, with the upper cylinderslightly nearer the fiber repower and is i moving drum than the lower,substantially as has been described and for the purposes specified.

6. A fiber removing machine in accordance with claim 1, in which boththe crusher and the regulator cylinders run between plates,substantially as has been described and for the purposes specified.

7. A fiber removing machine in accordance with claim 1, in which thefiber removing drum consists of star-shaped wheels mounted on ahorizontal shaft, and provided with knives parallel to the shaft raspingagainst a counter-knife, the outer of which stars are provided with adisc with acircular flange thatfreely engages in a circular opening inthe walls of thedrum casing, as has been substantially described and forthe purposes specified.

8. A fiber removing machine in accordance with claim 1, in which thescreen below the fiber remover consists of bars 111OL111L- ed on hoopseccentric in relation to the drum, the whole screen being free tooscillate upon one extremity of said hoops, substantially as has beendescribed and for the purposes specified.

9. A fiber removing machine in accordance with claim 1, in which theaspirator is a bladed fan and the air entrances at the extremitiescomprise a box with an exterior opening, and in which a cone revolvesfrom the fan shaft, substantially as has been de scribed and for thepurposes specified.

10. A fiber removing machine in accordance with claim 1, in which thefiber removing drum has knives that can be utilized on both edges, forwhich purpose they are so mounted that they can easily be turned whenone of the edges is worn, substantially as has been described and forthe purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature.

JULIO FIGUEROA.

